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Saturday, August 30, 2014

I feel as if I have to apologize before I start this blog post.
Because I'm about to be extremely shallow when I tell you that back to school shopping is one of my favorite times of the year!

I have an excuse to buy lots of little girl clothes and office supplies!

Having 4 boys, I've had my fair share of Levi's, Converse and Nike, but with a little girl... It's so much more fun! She doesn't roll her eyes if I ask her if she likes something, she doesn't tell me to HURRY UP, and she loves shopping with me!

I'm not a huge shopper, not anymore. I know by these pictures you'll think that I just wonder around aimlessly looking for things to spend my money on, but that's the farthest thing from the truth. I'm actually quite frugal, rarely buy anything unless it's on sale and I'm very good at saving money. I don't just spend to spend... I go on a mission, and once that mission is complete. I stop spending.

Before I shop though... I go through Hannah's and Andrew's closets and I either keep, donate, sell on ebay or upcycle the old clothing... by upcycle I mean, if it's an old tshirt, I'll cut it into a rag, and I will even donate clothing that needs repaired because I know some places will repair old clothing to sell or to give away.

Out with the Old...

I couldn't part with some of these so they are being saved for my future grand-daughter :)

And here are some of the new...

Why weren't clothes this cute when I was 9?

So school shopping is done for now, until winter hits, and luckily it won't get cold in Austin until around November, and then it's only a little chilly!

I'm not the kind of person that has to have the latest of everything,... don't get me wrong, I do like nice things, I have nice things... but I don't have to have the latest nice thing. I don't have a flat screen TV, my TV is not so old that you have to get up to turn the dial or watch it in black and white, but it's seriously dated! I won't buy a new computer unless the one before it actually starts to show a blank screen... like the blue screen of death, and I refuse to buy a new phone unless it's decided to go to phone heaven.

It sounds like I'm making excuses for myself, or justifying myself! I just don't like waste!

But I do love buying clothes for my daughter, I was once an obsessed clothes buyer for myself, but now I am cool with the same jeans for 4 years!

A big part of school shopping...
The School Supply Lists!

The supply list from each school seems to get longer and more expensive by the year!
Here are the 2 lists that my children had for this year.

Apparently the schools think I'm made of money!
The supplies from the list are just the "Needed" items, there was another list that asked for donations.

Hannah enjoyed organizing everything and putting it all into the book-bags... Andy didn't care, as long as he showed up to school with a pencil in his hand! Of course I made him painfully organize his binder.. he'll thank me for teaching him organization skills one day. Okay.. okay... Maybe not, but I'm a firm believer that being organized is a huge key to success!

I wish I had an excuse to carry around erasers like these!

Andrew started Middle School and hasn't had his "Back to school night yet", but since I work at the same school he attends, I know what he's up to and I know who his teachers are. He really enjoyed his first week and likes Middle School. It was time for him to move on from Elementary, some kids are just ready.

Hannah being "The baby", is still in Elementary and we already had her meet the teacher night. It so happens that her teacher was my 23 year old son's 4th grade teacher and Andrew's 4th grade teacher as well... I couldn't be more pleased. She is also the dual language teacher, Hannah learns 3 days a week in Spanish. I really love that! Because Hannah is in dual language, the same kids are in Hannah's class every year. This is Mrs. Ortiz, an amazing teacher. She's strict and well... I like that! The focus is on education and she takes no funny business off of the kids!

Hannah's new teacher..

And it's always awesome to bump into a friend!

The school year is off to a great start here! For all 3 of us, I love my job and I love working for the public school district in my city, the kids love their teachers and classes... Life is good, and we are all looking forward to to another great year!

Without having to turn on the news of the day, you know that human beings are capable of creating huge amounts of pollution. You can just drive to your nearest city to see that... no matter which country you live.

But did you know... That many countries, including The United States, Norway, Germany and the United Kingdom are actually cleaning the air of our emissions? Do you know how they are doing it?

They are pumping the Carbon Dioxide underground and storing it there, yep... They are taking our pollution, from this that or the other and sticking it under ground. A lot of it is being stored in the North Sea,underground in the United Kingdom. Where oil reserves have been pumped dry. Where there was once oil, there is now carbon dioxide. Under ground, stored... hidden, for eternity, if we're lucky. This process of removing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is called "Carbon Sequestration".

Photo from the USGC website
This is a really great thing right?
Maybe.
If it doesn't leak.Can it leak?
It's possible. History shows that whenever human beings mess around with mother nature, we end up creating havoc, but as long as this CO2 remains sealed, all will be safe.
But...what if it does leak?
Well, basically, the Planet is going to heat up, and it's going to get real uncomfortable, real fast.

Back to that "theory" of Global Warming.

If Global Warming isn't real, if we have nothing to worry about, then why are so many countries scrambling around looking for ways to stop the planet from heating up? Heating up because we have way too many emissions (caused by us) in the air?

Let's move past that for just a second...

My point? Just some food for thought. Is it really safe to pump our planet full of Carbon Dioxide? Okay... I'm exaggerating, it's not the whole planet. But at what point do we stop? Wouldn't it be a better idea to look at the mistakes we have made and try to be "greener"? We all know little things add up. The things you and I are guilty of doing every day... over buying useless stuff made in China, driving everywhere instead of taking the bus, not reducing, recycling and upcycling. I'm as guilty as you are. I consider myself an environmentalist but there is so much more I could be doing.

What I've found? Most people don't recycle or reduce because... they just simply can't be bothered. I've watching colleagues put a plastic bottle into the trash, when the recycle can was sitting beside the garbage can.

Do you believe in Global Warming?
Do you think Carbon Sequestration is a good idea?
Or do you think we should try to cut emissions in other ways?

I'd love to hear your opinion on this, I will publish comments regardless of whether or not you agree with me, as we are all entitled to our own respectful opinions.
I hope you have a fantastic up and coming week!
Tammy

Friday, August 15, 2014

This is my 3rd nomination for the Liebster Blog Award, I want to thank the ever so lovely Jay for nominating me, I feel as if I have in turn already nominated about a quadrillion people myself and because of that, I will answer the questions given to me, as they are great Ice breakers, but I honestly don't know who I would have left to nominate, seriously, I read the most incredible blogs with big followings. I mean, I know some amazing people! Thank you all for reading, for commenting and for allowing me to be part of your world.

Here are the questions given to me.

1) What would you do on your ideal day?

Recently I took a trip to the Florida keys... It's so fresh in my mind still, so I'm going to say, that my perfect dream of a day in a perfect world, would be on a tropical island, sitting and watching the gorgeous crystal clear shades of blue, aqua and pale green waters with my children, right before we scuba dive! OR London... Just anywhere, London... OR Walking the shorelines of Ireland.

2) What did you want to be "when you grew up"? And did you achieve it?

I wanted to move to New York City and become a fashion designer.

I have no idea why. I think because I lived in such a teeny tiny town on the Canadian border, there were like 69 kids in my graduating class, we had no shops to speak of and our nearest mall was 3 hours away, I think because of the seclusion I just wanted to take off to a big city. My sites are now set on things that matter... The Environment, Being a mother and education... Not on the latest fashions! Though I do like a pretty outfit :)

3 Tattoos and/or piercings; do you have any, do you love/hate them?

I have virgin skin! I do have my ears pierced though, but I'm afraid that's all the piercings this body is going to see... I might get a tattoo of Tower Bridge on the arch of my foot. Don't act surprised :)

4) Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?

With a Masters Degree, Working on my Doctorate. A grandmother (I mean come on... I have one engaged son of 23 years and one married that's 21... One of those two has to start a family!)... I see myself with a teenage daughter, putting the younger 2 through University, I see myself living in Europe while visiting the USA often, buying a home here to come back to. I see myself traveling, often... And an advocate on Environmental issues.

5) What are you reading right now?

My Biology and Physiology Book for class.

6) Serious theatre or musicals; or do you not visit the theatre?

I don't visit the theater, not because I don't want to go, but because I have kids, and if I go to the theater, it will be a children's production, which I'm totally okay with!

7) Do you have a secret crush? (famous person or otherwise!)

I used to have a celebrity crush on Val Kilmer, but now, I don't really care what celebrities are doing, I'm just not impressed by people that are famous just for pretending to be someone else...

8) Who knows about your blog, or is it secret?

It's never been a secret, but I only recently shared it with my family on a regular basis via facebook, I want them to read and know that I'm most happy when I'm with my children (they know this) and traveling (They are catching on to this part), I want them to know that I plan on packing up and traveling the world with my children. Not to run away from them or anyone, but to explore this beautiful planet!

9) Would your ideal holiday (if funds were unlimited) involve seeing more of your own country or worldwide travel?

Bora Bora Baby! My ultimate dream.

10) If you could rescue one item from your house in the event of a disaster what would it be? (family and pets aside) My photographs! In today's world, I have everything backed up, but I have pictures from when my children were small and when I was a little girl, they are good old fashioned one copy only photos!

11) If you were invited to a fancy dress party would you get excited, have a head brimming with ideas and immediately throw yourself into creating a fabulous outfit or do you struggle and wish it wasn't fancy dress?

To be honest, I probably wouldn't attend. I do enjoy being with friends and I do like to go out, but I'm very much an introvert. I like to travel... and see historical places and the latest art and museums, I like to experience tours with tour guides, swimming, hiking, shopping, going for a meal and walk a city from end to end...I like all that travel and the day has to offer, but at the end of it all, I want to go home... or even to a hotel room... and just relax. I'm not much for small talk, I rarely go to parties. And I like it that way.That probably makes me sound like a snob, I'm absolutely not, I love to talk to people, but going to a party full of people I don't know, it's just not my idea of a good time. And I'm at the age in life, if I don't see the point... I just don't go. I would rather hang out with my kids, or read blogs :)Who am I nominating?Anyone that stops by, go on... The Questions are fun! You know you want to dress up as a playboy bunny for the fancy dress party!! (Remember Bridget Jones.. :)Have a seriously awesome weekend!It's my last weekend of freedom! Then I'm back to work after a 3 month summer! It's time I got my lazy bum back, besides, I miss my students!Tammy x

Thursday, August 14, 2014

I'm crazy about Recycling.
In fact, I would wear the "Recycling" Queen Crown with pride.
If I can't recycle it, I try my best to upcycle it, donate it, or reuse it.
I NEVER throw away stretchy plastic unless it's holding my garbage (And that greatly pains me), and I even recycle our toothbrushes and pens (I have to mail them off, but I will not throw them away!!)...

So when I saw an idea on pinterest (Don't all ideas come from there?) I knew I had to try it!

For my birthday a couple of months ago I received gift cards to get new cowgirl boots... (Yeeehaaaww)...

I liked the front of the gift cards (Thank you Mom) with the photos of the Texas Flag and a Barn in the Country, so I decided to keep those.

The other side... Not so much... It was the side that had to be upcycled...

So I got out my trusty bottle of Mod Podge, slapped on some cute red polka dot paper (I love me some polka dots) and some plain white paper on top of the red.

Using scrap paper as not to damage the table.

I wrote my name, address and phone numbers on the white paper before I mod podged it.

Once it was dry I punched holes in the plastic with a basic hole punch.

And...

Voila!

Of course I don't have hearts all over my luggage tags, but this IS the internet, so I "hearted" it.

Yes, I know that "hearted" isn't a word.

Maybe I can make it my word?

"I Hearted all over my luggage tags"

No?

Moving on...

I'm quite happy how they turned out, I added some ribbon and attached one to my suit case and the other one to my carry on!

Just like pennies can add up in our bank accounts, the little things that we do for the Planet can also add up. Every piece of plastic that you recycle or upcycle means it stays off of our beaches and out of our landfills... remember people, PLASTIC NEVER GOES AWAY, it breaks down into smaller pieces, but it doesn't go away. So unless you recycle it, it just sits around.

Did you know there is actually a beach in Hawaii made out of plastic? Did you know that there is a new rock that has formed in Hawaii made out of plastic? That is seriously sad... Don't believe me? Have a Peek... New Hawaiian Rock

I will hop off of my soap box, but only for now!
I Hope the weekend brings you much joy, contentment and peace,
Tammy x

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

When we ventured to Fort Lauderdale, Florida a couple of weeks ago on vacation, the last thing I thought I would be doing is visiting Barbie's Dreamhouse Mansion, in fact... I didn't even know it existed!

When we were checking into our hotel my daughter spotted the pink brochure across the room with all of the other travel literature... How did she know it was Barbie?? It was miles away! Okay... Feet.. feet away, but how did she know?

Oh, it must have been the picture of Barbie! Or the Pink, on pink... with the side of pink!

Hannah begged, and she pleaded and she asked, and then she asked again.. "Please Mommy?!?!"

The only problem was, her 12 year old brother was with us, and there is no way that boy would agree to going anywhere near a Barbie anything, much less a mansion!

So we compromised, he would go, but he would wait outside and play his gameboy... What a sport eh?

Turns out, he didn't have to wait outside at all, when we arrived, we saw this DIRECTLY next door.

Well Played Barbie, well played.

So Hannah and I embarked on our Barbie adventure

Here are the costs... The VIP special includes makeup sessions and parties, we paid the regular fees.

You are not allowed to freely roam around the Dreamhouse, but you go in small groups of little girls and their moms, of course there were some dads there as well, I love it when dads play along!

The first place the tour guide takes the group is into the interactive elevator, in there you will see "fake" windows, which you will see glide up the floors of the mansion, of course you're not moving at all, but it's a cute experience.

The first room that you will enter is Barbie's kitchen, it really is a great way to start the tour and one of the best rooms in the house, the objects in the room are life size barbie objects that you would find in the Barbie dollhouse. It's hands on, and the girls can play with whatever they see in the room, there are also Barbie Dolls lined on every wall. Of course. As it IS all about Barbie!

Barbie's freezer was fun, that was also on the tour, attached to the kitchen...

There was also Barbie's Library...

Doesn't everyone have a baby grand in the library? A PINK one no less!

And Hannah liked Barbie's bedroom..

She was also amused that Barbie's toilet had a dolphin in it...

There was one big disappointment in Barbie's Dreamhouse and it was the part that Hannah wanted to see the most, it was Barbie's closet. The minute she saw it she said ...

"Oh no mom the clothes aren't real"

The clothes were actually wallpaper. I mean this is Barbie and her Dreamhouse, they could have at least put a little money into the wardrobe!

There were a couple of "real" pairs of shoes behind glass,

Also... Barbie's real miniture wardrobe was behind glass... which gave it a "Museum" type feel... But they were very well thought of and elegantly displayed.

There was also an interactive quick ride in Barbie's private jet as well as an interactive dress up session, the downside though is you have to patiently wait, one at a time, for each girl to participate and try each outfit on in the "large computer screen" shaped like Barbie's mirror.... Hannah grew bored and wanted to leave.

There is also a small gift shop, you would have thought that there would have been every single Barbie product on the market there, but only one type of Barbie was for sale, the one that is representing the Dreamhouse Experience. Hannah didn't even ask for her! The shop was very small, and more lights and glamour than product.

All in all, I'm sorry to report that it's really not worth the money from a mom point of view, But Hannah's point of view? She wants to go again. So what does that mean? I'd pay for it again, (if we were in Fort Lauderdale)... there are only 2 in the United States, the other Barbie Dreamhouse experience is in Minneapolis, at The Mall of America. This trip was all for my 9 year old daughter, not me... and she loved it!

Monday, August 11, 2014

Anglophile's beware, this fabric will have you breaking out in cold sweats....

Just look at these British designs!

And this bag... How gorgeous is this bag?

How did Gilly know I love polka dots?

Who is Gilly you ask?

She's the amazing blogger that made this bag and surprised me with it by sending it to Texas,

She also sent Cadbury!

A bag full of chocolate?

Wait wha?

Though a personal bag to stash my chocolate in is ideal, I am going to use this beautiful bag for travel!

Do you think the chocolate is calorie free?

I think I'll have it for lunch!

Seriously... We are talking Cadbury.

Okay I'm just kidding..

But I think I need to hide it from the kids. I'm going to have to find a new place, they have discovered my hiding places and my teenager ate all of my last stash of British Chocolate! (I think that's a crime punishable by law!)

Here is Gilly's Blog, of course I didn't want to blast her personal information all over the net, but her blog is not on private, so take the time to visit, she makes the cutest stuff!

Thank you Gilly, thank you for the surprise and the wonderful gifts, they came at a time when I really needed a pick-me-up!

Sunday, August 10, 2014

But we all know that it's not the big ticket items that can rob us blind, it's all of the "Nickles here and Dimes there" and the constant shelling out, it's the little bits here and there that leave our pockets full of nothing more than lint.

Photo courtesy of Google image search on "Travel"

I wanted to share a few of the money pits that I have discovered when traveling.

When renting a car
***When I'm in London, and recently Ireland, I never rented a car. In London I always use public transport because, well... Have you actually tried to find a parking spot in London? Not to mention the congestion charges. Public transport in London is so easy to use and so available, why would you use anything else? Though I have never rented a car overseas, I have rented them here in the States. When you book the car through a travel agent, as a package deal with an airline, there might be all kinds of hidden fees, my advice is to call the rental agency directly to find out what charges they might have, I had an extra $150 deposit when I rented a car in Fort Lauderdale that I was unaware of. Not to mention car rental companies will try to sell you everything under the sun from their own car insurance, to renting a GPS device and prepaying for towing service. If you have car insurance already, chances are you won't have to pay for theirs. Call your insurance company before you pick up your rental and know what deposits you will need. Also be aware that you won't get your deposit refunded back to your credit card for a week or more.

***Don't forget about those toll roads. Especially people like me, even WITH Google Maps I've managed to get myself turned around, so I've paid for many toll roads! (Over and Over, Back and Forth!)At the Airport
***Do I need to remind you that there are baggage fees on every known airline?
Well Apparently I need to remind myself! I'm so used to flying to other Countries and getting my free bag, that when I recently flew from Texas to Florida I remembered at the last minute about the $50 bag fee, I almost took 2 bags. Yes, I'm cheap.

***Food at the Airport? Don't even go there. Take snacks for goodness sake. It has nothing to do with how much money you have, it has to do with those gouging and taking advantage of you prices!

***It will cost you to store your bags at the airport, if you need or desire that service.

***Don't forget tip money, every shuttle driver that helps you with your luggage (To the airport, to the car rental business, to the hotel) deserves a tip.

***I have been charged for Wi-Fi at the airport before, I think it was the San Antonio airport if I'm not mistaken. It's not always freeOn the Plane
I never pay for alcoholic drinks when I'm on a plane, I want to arrive clear headed and alert, jet lag is bad enough without a fuzzy head, however if you so desire, remember, you have to pay for them.

***Oh the glorious in air Wi-Fi fees. And here I was thinking they were free! American Airlines hosts "Go-Go In Air" at $4 for 30 minutes. Or pay for an hour at $8 and get 30 minutes free. I paid it. So I'm not THAT cheap. All day will cost you $10.95

Remember the gouging at the airport? Well order a small can of pringles on the plane and it will cost you $4. A pack of M&M's? $3. They bring new meaning to the words "Convenience Fee". Again...bring your own snacks, especially when traveling with children.

You forgot to pack WHAT?
***Band-aids (Plasters), if you don't pack them, you will inevitably end up buying them on one of your trips, in Florida my son burned his two big toes because the concrete was too hot and he walked bare foot around the pool, my daughter needed her scratched bug bites covered, and me? I always end up with a blister from walking.

***Nausea medication. To my surprise BOTH of my children got a stomach upset on our trip to Florida, I was fine, but whether it was the water or being new to travel, there were a couple of days of toilet issues for the children, I didn't run out and buy any, but I'm sure they would have been more comfortable had I thought to pack some pepto-bismol.

***Sunscreen ... Even in the winter my friends!

***Bug Spray, Why Why Why do I always forget bug spray? Do I not remember what a tasty morsel I am to the bug world? Bug Spray and Sunscreen are expensive in convenience stores!

***All. Of. The. Bottled. Water. My kids are like camels. I pack re-usable bottles that we can refill and take with us, but guess what? We lost one and kept forgetting the other, so I spent a lot of money on water in Florida!

***Shoes. Believe it or not. Shoes. I have had to purchase shoes when site seeing because of blisters, and when in Florida, I wasn't expecting parts the bottom of the sea in The Florida Keys to be so sharp, most of the sea bottom was sandy soft, but some of it was a bit jagged, I had water shoes for the children, but not for myself. Bring the right shoes for your journey or pay up!

Hotels
***We all know the cost of Room service, but when a hotel in the States says "With Breakfast", it's usually free, The Jury Inn in England charged roughly 12 pounds a person. Same breakfast, different tea! Big price difference.

***If you're going to use the hotel safe to lock up your belongings, it's not always free.

***Here we go with the coveted Wi-Fi again. It's free in some hotels, I paid 10 Pounds a day in a hotel in London... A DAY! That's like $17, and I was there for 6 days. Whoa doggies! Had it not been the Wi-Fi that let me call my kids via Viber for free, I wouldn't have paid it.

***Phone calls. Again, in England I paid 6 pounds for a 2 minute phone call. I kid you not. 2 minutes. Roughly $10, and the person was in the same country!

So that does it...
There's my list.
The things that I have had to pay for, or could have paid for, yet didn't occur to me would be an issue!

Especially when I travel, I always assume there will be something I didn't think of and something I will have to fork out for, but the better I am prepared and the less surprises I have, the more relaxed I am on holiday.

If you have had surprise travel fees, Please share them, as I love to travel and I haven't been everywhere (Though it's on my list :) I'm always looking for tips on what to expect when exploring the globe!

Friday, August 1, 2014

Now before you say "Duh... of course you can, you've always been able to"...

Many airports have removed the ability to store luggage in lockers because of it being a security risk.

When I was in London the last time, I wanted to take a two day trip to Ireland. I Flew with Aer Lingus and they charge for each bag that you check, since I was already taking one carry on and a duffle bag there was no way I wanted to lug a big suitcase as well on such a short trip! If I'm only going somewhere for 2 days why would I want to drag around a big piece of luggage?

So before checking in for my flight to Ireland, I dropped my bag off in a designated luggage storage area at Heathrow Airport. There is actually a physical person there, not a locker or some other funky storage area you're left to figure out... You will (of course) be asked safety/security/airport type questions (you are in an aiport after all!) and then they will take your bag and store it for you, the airport personel have the right to x-ray or search your bag at any time it is in their care.

Keep in mind though, if you're traveling many places, and using many terminals, the terminals at Heathrow can be very cumbersome to get through with a big bag, the terminals can also take 30 minutes to get between (That's on a lucky day), so you will have to time your journey right in order to pick up your bag at one terminal to make it to another terminal if you're flying after pick up.

I had my bag stored in Terminal 1, after returning from Ireland I had to practically sprint through the terminal after landing so I could pay for and pick up my luggage in order to get very quickly to Terminal 5 to fly back to the States, by quick I mean I had one hour from touch down of one plane to take off of another!!... Switching terminals at Heathrow... Getting through security... Picking up my bag... I barely, and I do mean b-a-r-e-l-y made it. I missed gate closing by a couple of minutes.

Each Terminal of Heathrow has a designated luggage storage area, however, also keep in mind that though they have very long opening hours ... The left baggage area does close for roughly 7 hours a night.

Prices start at 5 Pounds for 2 hours of storage... or 10 pounds a day.

I hope this information is of some help to you, I actually read many articles and blogs before I travel and get great tips and help from people that have discovered things before I have... If I feel as if I've found something to help make travel easier for you, I'll pass it along!

Do you know of other Airports around the World that offer luggage storage?

I hope you have had a great week and have a peaceful and relaxing weekend,
Tammy x